A House committee advances legislation to bring down the cost of new housing. A Senate committee approves a ban on physician non-compete agreements. And a bill to better treat mental health in the criminal justice system takes its first step.

Here’s what you might have missed this week at the Statehouse.

HB 1005: Housing

The housing bill would create a loan fund that local governments can get money from to pay for infrastructure costs associated with new housing, such as connecting water, sewer, gas and electric lines. Advocates say such costs can add as much as $57,000 to every new home.

SB 7: Physician non-competes

Supporters of a ban on new physician non-competes say the agreements increase the cost of health care by limiting competition. But opponents say non-competes help protect investments – things like signing bonuses and equipment. And rural health care leaders argue banning non-compete agreements will actually drive up costs in rural settings.

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HB 1006: Mental health programs

And a bill moving through the House would create a system for law enforcement to refer people they’ve arrested to mental health care providers for evaluation and treatment. Supporters of the measure say it will vastly improve mental health outcomes by keeping people in need out of jail, where treatment is limited at best. Still, some worry about a lack of mental health care providers.

Find all the bills our statewide team is covering in our bill tracker at ipbs.org/projects/2023billtracker/ 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.